The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1887-11-02
EDIToRIAL.
ROBERT e. LEE.

TO day in the former capital of the
confederaay, vast multitude is as
sembled to do honor tothe memory
Of that peerless chiefain ROBERT
EDMUND LEE. Among those who
will fll places in that vast procession
will be many confederate vaterans.
who followed LEE on the fields Of
glory as well as the fields Of gloom
from the Wilderness, Spottylsania
Court House, Petersburg and Ap-
'pomattox,'where the sun Of the com
federacy snnk behind the h.rizon to
IiSc no uiUIC sosO-
To-day those who knew and fol-
lowed the great leader through the
four years arduous struggle, will be
more engaged in calling to mind the
man SO kind, so affable, SO plain and
courteous in his manners, and SO un-
ostentatious in the discharge Of ms
duties.
As man, few ever came up to the
full measure that he did No genenal
in ancient or modern times ever com.
manded 90 many men so well and SO
easily, simply from the fact that
while he was their commanding gen.
erab the bumblest soldier knew the
goodness and kindness Of his heart.
GEN. LEE was exceedingly plain in
his dress; Of course lie wore the
double-breasted grey frock coat with
the double row of buttons but never
buttoncd up. The only ensignia Of
his rank we're the three small stars
upon his coat collar which we're scarce
ly ever visible. He never wore a
sword except when reviewing the
troops by divisions or corps. And
what need had he of the tinsel and
tsre ofpuppet generals 2 Who was
lin that matchless army that did
not know Uncle Robert, as he was al
ways called by the troops z There
tSss no form better known and no
face more familiar than bis.
He never appeared with full staff
Wherever he went. be Wis general y
only accompanied by one or two staff
officers, plainly and neatly dressed
like himself; sometimes he was ac.
companied only By courier or Two,
and frequently he was seen on Travel
Ter without any staff or courier al al
Whenever he passed among the
troops, they rarely ever cheered.
Their good sense SCI med to dictat.
10 them that IL was not becoming.
but they always and everywhere stood
uncovered till he passed, which he al
ways returned by slowly and deliber
ately raising his hat. But whenever
Stobewall Jackson appeared there
were rousiDg cheers, which sometimes
he would return by raising his hat,
and riding the full length of the
column with his cap III his hand.
Sometimes when the boys would raise
the cheer, stonewall would plunge
the rowels into the sides of'the old
sorrel and gallop abruptly away from
the columa.
GEN LEES Hea quarters were as
simple as his everyday life. Nearly
always during campaign he pitched
his tent where convenience dictated :;
there were NO guards, no flags nor
anything else TO distinguish the quar-
ters of the Genrral-in. Chief from any
other Headquarters. There were no
forms; if he was engaged, you had
only to wait your turn through the
Adjutant Generals office to see him.
He was a deeply religious man, a
devout and honest communicant Of
the Episcopal Church. He had no
chaplain however; but always attcn
ded divine services in some portion Of
the army as inclination led him, no
matter whether Episcopal. Presby-
terian, Baptist or Methodist oifici,ted.
He took his place among the soldiers
like anybody else. and always gave
out his chair to All older man or o
feeble soldier.
These things and thousands of
Others will lie called up To day by